Egin-Hamer Road closure to begin New Years Day
REXBURG, Idaho (KIFI/KIDK) - As it has for more than 20 years, the Bureau of Land Management will implement its annual closure of the Egin-Hamer area January 1, 2020.
The closure designates nearly 500 square miles of land as off-limits to human entry until April 30. The closure allows herds of deer, elk and moose to spend more time in the desert between St. Anthony and Dubois during crucial portions of the winter and spring.
BLM, the Idaho Fish and Game Department, and county commissioners agreed to the annual area closure in exchange for approval to reopen the Egin-Hamer Road for winter travel. Individual landowners accessing their private land are exempt from the temporary closure. The St. Anthony Sand Dunes, from the Red Road to Thunder Mountain and adjacent to the Egin Lakes access, are also exempt.
Air space over the closure area is not restricted, but pilots of all types of aircraft are cautioned not to disturb wintering wildlife.
BLM said special emphasis is being placed this year on keeping vehicles from accessing secondary roads off Red Road in the closure area. Vehicles found beyond road barriers will be cited.
The Civil Defense Caves, which have become popular among BYU-Idaho students are also within the closure boundaries.
